Keeper of the Flame
by Aufigir1
Summary: Life is like a flame. It burns to stay alive, bringing light and warm and sometimes, destruction. ...But what happens if that flame was taken away?
1. The Beginning

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

_40 000 years before present-day; _

The sun was setting. The sky changed to the glow of red and orange, blending itself over with the the vast rusty desert below. Only the shadows of the trees and shrubs that stood out off the ground that made the difference between the earth and the sky.

For one lone man, it was a beautiful sight but sadly, it was to be his last.

He had walked on this great land for a very long time. Longer than any human that was born to this continent. His extended longevity was granted to him by the Flame as its Keeper. He still retained the same body, even after centuries. A bond was created between the man and this land. He could almost feel life that thrived through this ancient continent. The red deserts, its mighty rivers, cold blue mountains and vast black plains. Of both people and wildlife. Wandering the land from sea to sea, the lone man saw the beauty of the land and nature. From the smallest curiosities to the grandest wonders.

He met people along the way, tribes each country he traveled through. Most called him as 'The Keeper' while others referred to him by his original title, 'The Lone Fella'. Even before becoming the Keeper, the man was a wanderer. He didn't belong to any tribe nor did he stay in one place for too long and was always on the move through the land. He had his share of danger through his journeys but it didn't deter his love for this continent. It was one of the reasons why he was chosen.

He met spirits and strange mythical creatures, even gods and goddesses. Many of which he befriended while on other times fought against in the defense and protection of the good. But regardless, all respected this role for his sacred role.

But... there was one spirit however that needed to be dealt with. A creature of such evil and darkness that even spirits of the shadows feared it. Already too many people had fallen victim to this being and fell many others shuddering in fear of falling into the same fate of their brothers and sisters.

For the lone man knew what it wanted...

.

As the sky darkened, the stars appearing in the blanket of night as he waited. Waiting for _him_. The glow of the embers from the campfire flickered behind him as he watched the last of the sun's ray shine over the horizon. In the darkness of the bush, a shadowy figure appeared as it crept closer to the open.

"...So you finally came, _Kirroo_."

The creature then emerged from the shadow and into the light of the campfire. It stood twice as tall as the man, thin body covered in black from head to toe. Long arms with sharp claws at both ends and a thorn-like crown on its head. His face, there were only its hollow eyes and a mouth of sharp teeth. "_So we meet again, Flame Keeper or was it the Lone Wanderer_?" It said in a hissing manner. There was a strong ominous aura radiating out of the creature.

The man turned to the dark creature, maintaining a firm facade as he looked up to the corrupted being. "You don't have to do this."

Kirroo simply laughed, it sounded demoniac that it could easily scare a little child. "_You know what I want, my good friend. Give me the Flame or everything you swore to protect will be destroyed_."

"It was never your's to take," the man shouted out in defiance. "It never was and never will!"

The creature narrowed its eyes as it towered over him and glared him down. "_If that's how you're going to play with...then I'll shall destroy you first_!" Kirroo then suddenly swing his long arm over to the man. Its sharp claws dug into the red ground as the Keeper jumped out of the way, dodging the claw attack. "_You will never escape from me this time Keeper_!"

The Keeper looked up to the creature with burning eyes as he grabbed his spear. "Why are you doing this? You were an honourable leader and warrior. Why turn into _this_?!"

Kirroo laughed maniacally. "_The man you knew and fought is gone." The dark creature sneered with a smug. "He wished to be stronger but his desire for power was too great. So he sold his own spirit to the darkness_." This caused the lone man to gasp, only to narrowly miss a surprise shadow attack by the corrupted being from behind.

Landing on his feet, he let it go with a heavy sigh and he glanced up at Kirroo with determination burning in his eyes. His grip on the spear tightened and took a deep breath as he readied himself with a sad frown, "Then you leave me no choice."

As soon as the last sun ray faded away from the horizon, the dual started.

With only the campfire the source of light surrounding them, Kirroo took advantage of the darkness, disappearing into the shadows as the Keeper used all of his abilities as he tried to sense for the dark spirit. He only managed to duck another shadow attack from his right; the man tried to slash attack the dark creature with his spear but only managed to tear off a bit from its seemingly twig-like arm before a counterattack, causing him to lost grip of his spear.

With no weapon, he was in a vulnerable position as Kirroo towered over him. "_It's mine_!" He raised his claws and they launched onto the man. The Keeper jumped out of the way in time and the sharp claws instead hit the campfire. Kirroo immediately took aback his burnt claws in pain, sending embers flying into tall grasses and shrubs, igniting into flames.

With fire surrounding them, there was no escape. The lone man winced, he had to defeat this creature...and he was running out of time.

He spotted his spear behind Kirroo as the corrupt being stood over him with its eyes narrowed down menacingly at the man. The Keeper suddenly sprinted, dodging shadow spikes and attacks from the dark creature. He slid across the dusty red ground, grabbing his spear and immediately made a slash attack as he turned around to Kirroo, with a deep gash across the creature's chest.

Kirroo stepped back as it yelled in pain. The man then grabbed a large burning stick from the ground and faced the dark spirit. "I'm very sorry, my friend." He threw the burning stick into Kirroo's opened wound and soon his body was burning in dark flames, reducing it into black ashes.

It was finally over. The Keeper had done his last duty. The flames and the campfire died down into small glowing embers around him. He started to feel weak and...light. He looked down at his hand as it started to fade away like sand into the cool breeze. The man took his last moment to look up to the starry night and close his eyes.

In truth, he had already given up his title as the Keeper long before this confrontation and passed down the Flame of Life to another person...someone more deserving for the title and responsibilities that it carried. "You're safe now, child..." The Lone Wanderer whispered as he faded away to the wind, knowing that the Flame was safe.

...Or so he hoped.

.

.

.

"Do you think that I can do this?"

"That depends entirely up to you, child."

Deep within the cool, thick bushlands surrounded by the tall eucalyptus trees, a young boy who looked no older than a toddler looked down at the flicking light of a tiny flame in his hands. It was a special flame, the Flame of Life as the spirits and elders called it. It had a pleasant warm feeling that tinged on his skin and through his veins almost like a heartbeat. It was the only light source around the young boy and his grey friend, even with the moon shining behind the branches of leaves.

"I don't know. This...'Keeper' duty sounds very important." The child sighed, "I'm not sure if I'm the right person for this..."

His glare-eyed grey friend climbed down from the tree branch and jumped onto the ground next to the young child. "Don't doubt yourself. The Keeper won't have given you the Flame of Life without good reason. You are the 'child of the Dreamtime', are you not?"

"Yes but..." The young boy sighed, his eyes reflected the light of the Flame on his hands. "...what if I made a mistake and messed up? What if I fail..?"

"Well, this isn't the outgoing and daring _gurung_ that I was somehow befriended to... You'll be able to this. You are a special one like your _wiyanga_ after all." The young boy's grey friend assured him.

The young boy smiled, "Thanks." He then took a deep breath and exhaled. He stood up to his feet, careful with the tiny flame in his hands, he let the Flame sink into his hands and a sudden surge of warmth rushed through the young boy's body. His eyes momentarily glowed with a flickering warm light. "Come on then, _wiyanga _is waiting for us." He picked his grey friend up into his arms and ran off back to the campsite.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**_Translation:_**  
_Kirroo_ = cold (sounds fitting for the character)  
_gurung_ = child  
_wiyanga_ = mother

This is actually a rewrite version of this fic, which I started almost two years ago. I had been planning to this for a very long time but due to procrastination and self-doubt, it's only now that I got around to do this.

Anyway, this is a Hetalia fiction story that will focused around Australia and the Aboriginal mythology, as well as New Zealand (female) along with America, Canada and England. Hints of pairings, mainly AUS/NZ (though fyi, I'm not a regular shipper). Supernatural and adventure, maybe a bit of dark with history and mythological spirits added into the mix. Second chapter will be soon!


	2. The Story

**Chapter 2: The Story**

_Present Day_

It was a clear night. In the bushlands away from the city lights, the stars appeared in the millions, filling the blanket of the dark sky as they twinkled with the moon dazzling its light. Almost like a painting of by Vincent Van Gogh. A cool breeze blew by, rattling leaves of the tall eucalyptus trees that surrounded the home of a certain Nation.

Australia or Jack as he was known to his friends; both Nation and human, had brought along his younger sister, Wy to his main country home just outside of Canberra. Both siblings were sitting around a campfire just outside of the house and just finished a pack of marshmallows and damper that Jack made earlier. His pet koala was up in a gum tree, already asleep. It wasn't often that Jack had the time to spend family time with Wy. His schedule was always busy with work; meetings, diplomatic visits from high-profile guests, fixing issues inside and outside of Parliament. All the things that a Nation was expected to do. _At least Boss decided to give me a day off_. Jack quietly thought to himself.

He was able to smile and then, he felt a nudge from his younger sister. "Hey Jack, Do you have any more Dreamtime stories to tell?" While she did find her older brother to be annoying at times, Wy had always enjoyed listening to Australia's stories from the Dreamtime.

"Any more Dreamtime stories, you say?" Jack went over his thoughts, trying to think of one. "Hm... I think I've told you all of them, Wy."

His younger sister pouted in disappointment, "There has to be some stories that you haven't told me. There must be a huge lot of them!"

Australia simply sighed. As of lately, Jack had been digging deep into his roots and was reconnecting with his ancient heritage. There was a heavy burden over his shoulder for the mistreatment of the Aboriginal people and for almost forgetting his own Aboriginal heritage. _And memories..._ All of which pained him with guilt. The scar across the bridge of his nose was a reminder of that, but he had since came to terms with the past and was doing all he could to close that gap. _First steps towards healing..._

Wy however still maintained that pouting look on her face, "...What about that story you and that visiting Elder were talking about the other day?"

Jack flinched out of his thoughts from the Micronation's suggestion, "That story? ...Wy, were you eavesdropping us then?" He raised an eyebrow to his younger sister as Wy's cheeks suddenly flushed a bit in red, "N-no! ...Well yes...kinda." She crossed her arms in a rather awkward but grumpy matter as she huffed. Much to Jack's amusement and chuckled a bit. She then sighed, "...It sounded like a great story through..."

The Nation nodded but however sighed, "It is and it's more than just a story. But sadly...as much as I would like to tell you, I can't...really!"

"C'mon Aussie! Can't we get away with one story?" Wy whined to her brother. Although she usually acts like a matured girl as she liked to consider herself to be, she still was a young girl who looked like she had only just entered into her preteen years.

Jack sighed, before giving a thought about it. "Well... I suppose I could. But...you must know firstly that this is not just any story like the ones I've already told you before. It is hardly ever been told...let alone been heard of! Only very few elders know this story, alright?"

Wy nodded as she moved closer towards her brother. She had a feeling that this particular story was sacred than any of the others.

The Nation smiled a bit before taking a deep breath, "This peculiar Dreamtime story is known nowadays as the 'Keeper of the Flame' and the story starts thousands and thousands of years into the land's ancient past..."

.

_...before the first humans set foot onto the land, there was virtually no life on this continent.  
No light or warmth. The land was covered under darkness and was very cold for anything to grow and survive.  
But eventually, the cold darkness gave way to the sun and life started to grow wherever the sunrays touched.  
The continent was soon thriving with all of nature's goodness with animals and plant life.  
Shaping the landscape across the land and its life cycle.  
And with this newly flourished life, also came a flame._

_No one knew where this mysterious flame came from nor its source as this tiny flame burnt on its own.  
It baffled the great spirits of the land but what they all certainly knew;  
this tiny flame had a strong spiritual connection with the continent. It was tied with the life that thrives across the land.  
The Flame of Life as it was soon called.  
And this concerned the spirits... If the Flame was left on its own;  
It could become uncontained and bring about destruction across the land.  
Or wither and die, reversing the continent back into its lifeless state._

_The Flame had a strong connection with the physical reality, so no spirit was able to hold it.  
So it was then decided that a game was set to see who was worthy to be the Flame's Keeper._

.

"A game? You mean a competition, right?" Wy asked, intrigued with where the story was going so far. Australia smiled, "Yes, or at least that's what they told me. Anyway..."

.

_...news soon spread of this sacred game as men from every tribe across the continent came together to compete.  
Trials and matches were set up to test these men for their strength and worthiness.  
This game lasted for days, weeks some say and soon, there were only two men left._

_One of them was a strong hunter from a tribe of very skilled men.  
Men from that tribe took pride in their hunting skills and resilience against the harshness of the land they roamed on.  
So it came to no surprise that the tribe's strongest and most skilled Hunter was able to reach this far in this game._

_The other man, however, was an unusual person and was a surprise to many.  
This man did not belong to any tribe nor did anyone know of his origins.  
He wanders the land alone and if he stayed in one place, he did not stay there for too long.  
No one knew his name, so this man was referred by many as the 'Lone Wanderer' or the 'Lone Fella' by some._

_For the final trial of this sacred game for the Flame of Life, it was a duel between the Hunter and the Wanderer.  
Whoever won this duel would become the Keeper of the Flame._

_Both men were wielded with their spears and wooden sticks and at the break of dawn, the duel begun.  
It took the Hunter by surprise of the Wanderer's abilities; their fighting skills were equally matched.  
The Wanderer was able to counter the Hunter's every move with such speed, but strength was in the Hunter's favour.  
As the duel continued, however it started to become very rough and brutal..._

_With his patience withering, the Hunter became heavy handed with his attacks and became blinded for his desire to win.  
The Wanderer struggled to keep up with his opponent's brutal attacks. He narrowly missed being stabbed several times during their duel.  
He was soon disarmed and knocked down onto the ground by the Hunter as his opponent raised his spear onto him.  
Knowing that he could not do anymore, the Wanderer forfeited the match._

_With the duel over, everyone expected the Hunter to be granted the Flame of Life.  
But the spirits had already decided amongst themselves and declared that;  
the Lone Wanderer was to be the chosen Keeper of the Flame._

_This caught everyone by surprise. Even the Wanderer did not expect this outcome.  
The spirits explained of how the Hunter was brutal with his actions and lacked restraint to his desires and desperation.  
He lacked what was required to wield hold the Flame and therefore was not worthy of the title and responsibilities.  
The Wanderer on the other hand, his decision to forfeit was a noble act and he had a rich knowledge and understanding  
of people and land to which the Flame sustained._

_With this decision, the Lone Wanderer was gained the Flame and was formally granted as the Keeper of the Flame.  
As the Flame's Keeper, the Wanderer carried it within his body;  
keeping it safe and sustaining it as he returned back to his nomadic ways._

_._

"So...that's the end of the story?" Wy asked, raising an eyebrow to her older brother.

To which Jack chuckled, "No actually. That's only the beginning of it! You see Wy..."

.

_...the Hunter was very upset and furious with the spirit's decision. He won the final trial of the sacred games after all!  
He did not understand why he was not chosen nor why was he declared 'unworthy' to carry the Flame._

_Weeks went by since that day, while on a hunting trip for food; the Hunter was approached by a witch doctor.  
The witch doctor claimed that he could give the same power as the Flame of Life does.  
At first, the Hunter was skeptical of this claim; however his frustration over the decision still lingered and his desire was tempting him.  
So the Hunter decided to oblige with the witch doctor's offer and followed him._

_On the dead of night, the witch doctor, using black magic, performed a ritual to summon the spiritual essence of the earth.  
This was then endowed into the Hunter's body in hopes of creating the same power like the Flame._

_However...something went terribly wrong.  
As more spirits processed into the Hunter's body, the magic became corrupted.  
And soon the spiritual essence within the Hunter became dark and took over him;  
Transforming him into something far more terrible._

_Once the transformation was complete, he turned towards the witch doctor and ate him.  
The once warrior then returned back to his tribe's camp and ate everyone._

_The former proud warrior was gone and from that day on he was known as;  
Kirroo...the dark soul eater._

_._

Wy's eyes glittered in awe and became even more engrossed with the story so far, "So what happened next then? Did the Wanderer do anything with Kirroo?"

"Don't worry, I'm getting there!" Jack smiled reassured his younger sister, "Now where was I..?"

.

_Word soon spread about this dark cold creature.  
Wherever Kirroo wandered, life around the corrupted being withered away and consumed the living essence of his victims.  
His presence struck fear and dread through every man and spirit alike whenever he's present.  
Many warriors and spirits had tried to stop to this dark creature, only to eaten by him.  
It only added to Kirroo's taste for more living souls._

_The Lone Wanderer, by then known as the Keeper, received word of this being's presence.  
He did his best to restore lands corrupted by Kirroo, however he could not restore those who were lost.  
The Keeper made every effort he could to protect both men and spirits from the cold dark being and his desire for power._

_He already knew what Kirroo wanted;  
he was after the Flame of Life._

_It would be several seasons of drought and floods that the Keeper and Kirroo would cross path._

_No one knew how this confrontation went.  
But what they did know was that it occurred right before sunset.  
The Keeper waited at his campsite for Kirroo's arrival.  
He knew too well that if Kirroo successes in gaining the Flame, life on the continent will be eradicated to his dark influence.  
Eventually Kirroo arrived in the midst of the shadows and once the last of the sunrays faded, the duel started._

_Kirroo used the darkness surrounding the campsite to his advantage.  
The Keeper narrowly misses every surprise attack the dark creature threw at him.  
During the fight, embers from the campfire were suddenly thrown off and a bushfire erupted around them._

_Just when Kirroo was about to claim triumph, the Keeper with his spear sliced open Kirroo's hollow body!  
He grabbed a burning stick from the surrounding bushfire and threw it into the creature's body.  
It burnt him from the inside out until he was nothing more than ashes._

_It was finally done, the Keeper had defeated Kirroo.  
And soon, afterwards he vanished. Never to be seen again._

_._

"Wait...the Keeper's vanished? But then what happened to the Flame? Doesn't the Keeper continue to do his duty?" Wy asked, puzzled by the end of this Dreamtime story. Australia however smiled knowingly, "Well that's the thing...you see Wy, by the time the Keeper confronted Kirroo, he was no longer the Keeper of the Flame."

Wy perked up to her older brother surprised, "What?! You mean he gave up the role?!"

"Well yes. But he did not give up the Flame without reason," Jack added. "What he did was he hid the Flame away and Kirroo at the time of the fight didn't know that the Keeper no longer carried the Flame within him."

The Micronation nodded, "So wait...if the Keeper hid the Flame then where it is now?"

"Nobody knows, Wy with only a very few elders knowing what had become of the Flame," Australia shrugged, "Some say that the Keeper returned the Flame to the land while others say that he passed it on to a spirit or to a new Keeper! However as the time went by, the Flame of Life and the story of the Keeper soon became myths... No one's sure whether the Flame of Life even exists at all now!"

Wy nodded, "Well...I think the Flame is real if the story is true." She shrugged before she let out a sleepy yawn. The Nation smiled, "Why not you head back inside and have a knock off. I'll just put out the fire, alright?" She smiled tiredly and stood up, stretching herself before dragging herself to the house, "That was a great story, Jack. We should do this more often."

Jack chuckled, looking back to his younger sister. "Just remember not to tell anyone else this. It is a very special Dreamtime story, ok?"

Wy smiled tiredly and nodded, "G'night, Jack."

"G'night, little sis." Australia smiled as he watched his younger sister head back inside the house.

For a moment, he felt a sudden surge of warmth within himself. He held his chest over his heart as the warmth swelled through his body with a pleasant pulse and smiled, "If you only knew..." He let the campfire burn itself off until its embers eventually died down. Looking up to the sky, he could see the Southern Cross as he let himself be bathed by the moonlight. He closed his eyes and took the moment of serenity.

"._..An excellent story you have there. But there is more to the ending than what was told..._"

Jack's eyes snapped open when he heard the cold hissing voice from behind. A chill suddenly ran up through his spine. _No... It can't be... _He slowly turned around towards the voice and soon was face to face with _him_.

"_It's a pleasure to finally meet you...Keeper._"

* * *

**Author's note:**

Yes. Finally posted this up! University works were getting in the way but I did it!

Just two things to say about this chapter:  
1) With Wy, she is said to be childish despite showing herself as 'mature' compared to other Micronations.  
2) And the supposedly Dreamtime story about the 'Keeper of the Flame' is absolutely 100% fictional (AKA not real)! It was made specifically for the sake of this fic. I tried to be close to how Dreamtine stories were told.

Next chapter may take a bit longer to be post up soon. But enjoy!


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